Today's News

Lancaster County sheriff’s deputies have arrested four Lancaster residents in connection with a rash of burglaries in the county over a several-month period.
Sheriff Barry Faile said he couldn’t give specifics about the areas or addresses the suspects have been charged with burglarizing, the number of burglaries involved or the time span of suspected cases, as the investigation is ongoing.
“We’ve solved a bunch of burglaries, but we’re continuing to solve more each day,” Faile said.

Tending to roses at Lancaster City Hall and providing hot meals for firefighters were just some of the deeds that Joan Hall Williams rendered on a regular basis.
The Lancaster native was known locally for lending a helping hand and spreading knowledge about Lancaster County’s history. Because of that dedication, many county residents came to know Williams affectionately as “Aunt Jo.”
Now they are reflecting on what Aunt Jo meant to the community. She died Sunday at the age of 79.
A history enthusiast

Most elementary and middle schools in the Lancaster County School District received the same grade on their state-issued report card in 2010 that they did a year ago.
The state Department of Education released the 2010 report cards last week.
Schools and districts are assessed by two ratings on the report cards – absolute and growth.
Absolute ratings are based on overall student performance on standardized tests. Growth ratings look at individual student test scores from one year to the next and the number of students who have made such gains.

Supporting the NAACP was the main topic at the Lancaster Branch of the NAACP’s 32nd annual Freedom Fund Banquet at Lancaster High School on Saturday night.
About 200 people attended.
The Rev. M. Diana Charles, pastor of Rock Hill AME Zion Church in Pageland, was the keynote speaker. She is a retired educator, president of the Cheraw Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and member of the executive board of the S.C. Conference of the NAACP.

KERSHAW – Kershaw Town Council heard a plan to open a new medical office downtown.
Chris Dixon, Sandhills Medical Foundation’s chief financial officer, outlined the plan and requested a letter of support from council Monday to submit with an upcoming federal grant application, which is due Dec. 17.
Sandhills offers medical care to anyone, with sliding-scale fees as low as $25, keyed to the patient’s ability to pay.

Jesef Williamsjwilliams@thelancasternews.com
A Lancaster man said he was leaving an acquaintance’s house late Saturday night when his vehicle was shot at.
The shooting happened shortly before 11:30 p.m., according to a Lancaster Police Department incident report.
The man went to a Sumter Street home to visit someone, and when he came back outside and got into his car, was shot at, the report said.

Carl Guidice is thrilled to be a part of Lancaster County.
Guidice, chief executive officer of Strategic Outsourcing Inc., a professional employer service, welcomed a large group of employees, guests and local and state officials at a ribbon-cutting for his company’s new Indian Land headquarters Monday.

From the halls of Congress to the halls in small towns, the message is clear: No more taxes. No one wants to pay more in taxes. But when there is a dire need and no way to pay for it, sometimes that is the only answer.
Such is the case in Indian Land. There is an effort under way to create an Indian Land Fire Protection District. The district would buy new equipment, station furnishings and fund new and existing firefighters.

One student asked if Debbie Keenan was going to Paris. Another asked if she was ever coming back.
Well, Kennan didn’t make it anywhere near France, though the experience was still exciting for all who witnessed.
Keenan, the media specialist at Brooklyn Springs Elementary School, rode in a hot-air balloon Friday morning. The ride, which took place behind the school, was the result of a reading challenge Keenan posed to all the students in the school.